.jpg)
‘Ghost plates’ crackdown sees PHV licence immediately suspended after police camera warning
- Perry Richardson
- 1 hour ago
- 2 min read
Police have taken action against a locally licensed private hire vehicle after its registration plates were identified as “ghost plates”, raising concerns over attempts to defeat camera-based road enforcement.
PC Patrick Quinton, Taxi Cop for Avon and Somerset Police, said the PHV licence was immediately suspended and the number plates seized after officers established that they could not be read by some cameras.
Quinton said: “Today, a PHV licence was immediately suspended and the number plates seized as they were ‘ghost plates’ - cannot be read by some cameras.
“This locally licensed PHV will need to get road legal plates before it can take further PH work.”
The stop is particularly significant for licensed taxi and private hire drivers as Automatic Number Plate Recognition and other camera systems form an increasingly important part of road policing, Clean Air Zone enforcement and wider compliance activity.
Plates designed or altered in a way that prevents cameras correctly recording a vehicle registration can create enforcement problems where authorities rely on automated systems to identify vehicles.
Quinton also revealed a separate case involving an unlicensed Land Rover which he said was displaying false registration plates in an attempt to avoid the Clean Air Zone charge.
He said: “Yesterday, I found a Land Rover (not a licensed vehicle) with false plates on. It was the driver’s attempt to avoid the Clean Air Zone charge. As the vehicle was also SORN, I seized it and the driver faces prosecution for a fraud offence.”
Quinton has encouraged taxi and private hire drivers who are uncertain about the legality of their registration plates to have them checked voluntarily.
He added: “If you are in any doubt about your number plates, remember you can come and see me to have them checked. You won’t be given a ticket if you come to me voluntarily.”
